Kenny Blank
Born
Kenneth Michael Benbow Blank

(1977-09-15) September 15, 1977
New York City, U.S.
Other namesKenn Michael
Alma materUniversity of Southern California
Occupation(s)Actor, composer, editor, director, producer
Years active1991–present
ParentWarren Benbow (father)

Kenny Blank (born September 15, 1977), also known as Kenn Michael, is an American actor, composer, director, editor, and producer. He is best known for his role as Michael Peterson in the television series The Parent 'Hood from 1995 to 1997 for which he also composed some music, as well as his appearance in Eddie Murphy's 1992 film, Boomerang.

Early life

Blank was born as Kenneth Michael Benbow Blank[1] in New York City[2] on September 15, 1977,[1] the son of Lola, a dancer for James Brown[3] who later became Blank's manager,[4] and Warren Benbow, a jazz drummer[2] who has worked with Miles Davis and Stevie Wonder.[4] His parents later divorced[5] and Blank was raised by his mother and stepfather, Bob Blank, who owned a music studio.[4]

By the time he was 6 years old, Blank played the piano[5] and made short films.[3] He graduated from Stamford High School in 1995.[3] In the late 1990s, Blank was a student at the University of Southern California, where he studied filmmaking.[2]

Career as performer

Blank began acting at the age of 7.[4] As a child, Blank reviewed the book Jumanji on Reading Rainbow in the episode about the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. He also narrated Bill Martin, Jr.'s "Knots on a Counting Rope" with Joseph Ruben Silverbird. His major breakthrough was his role as Tito in the 1991 Joe Pesci film The Super.[6] For his performance as Tito, Blank was nominated for a Young Artist Award in 1992 in the Best Young Actor Co-starring in a Motion Picture category.[7]

In 1991, he starred as Linus Bragg[8] in the movie Carolina Skeletons (or The End of Silence),[5] about an African-American boy in the mid-20th century South who was wrongfully executed at the age of 14.[9] The movie was based on a novel, both of which were based on the true events regarding the arrest, conviction and execution of 14-year-old George Stinney. Blank had a small role in the feature film Boomerang (1992)[10] and appeared in the miniseries Alex Haley's Queen.[11]

He was a series regular on short-lived sitcom Tall Hopes (1993), playing aspiring director Ernest Harris.[12] Although the series received poor reviews, Blank's performance as Ernest was well received.[13][14] He portrayed teenager Michael Peterson in the sitcom The Parent 'Hood in the mid-1990s,[15] also composing songs for the series.[2] Blank left the series after its third season.

Blank acted in Silent Story and Delivering Milo. Notable guest appearances on television shows include roles in Hangin' with Mr. Cooper, Moesha, City of Angels,[16] Living Single, and Freaks and Geeks. He also appeared as Jordy in the direct-to-video horror comedy Boltneck.[17]

As a voice actor, Blank provided the voice of the character Darren Patterson on the Nickelodeon animated series As Told by Ginger (2000–06),[18] as well as earning a small role in All Grown Up!, as Sulky Boy's band member J.T. He appears in the Saints Row video game series as one of the selectable voices of the Boss, the main character of the series. He is the only voice who is selectable in all games in the series. Blank provided the English dub voice of Angelino in Mutafukaz.[19] He is also the English dub voice of Philly the Kid in Cannon Busters.[20]

Other careers

Since 1998, Blank has cinematographed, edited and directed a number of short films. He made his directorial debut in 1999 on the theme song for Mystery Men.[21] Blank exhibited an experimental film, Manifested Intent, at the Urbanworld Film Festival.[22] In 2019, Blank directed the television film In Broad Daylight for TV One.[23]

During the 1990s, he also worked as a composer, creating songs on The Montel Williams Show[24] and providing the title theme for The Super.[25] As a teenager, he contributed music to Kodak, Lego and commercials for other companies.[3]

Filmography

Film

YearTitleRoleNotes
1991The SuperTito
1992BoomerangKenny
1998Dead Man on CampusLuke
2000BoltneckJordy
2001Delivering MiloMr. Ralph
EvolutionStudent
Silent StoryShort film
2005The Legend of Frosty the SnowmanWalter Wader (voice)Direct-to-video[26]
2006All You've GotComposer
2017MutafukazAngelino (voice)[26]

Television

YearTitleRoleNotes
1993Hangin' with Mr. CooperHenry1 episode
Homicide: Life on the StreetJames Hill
Alex Haley's QueenHenry at 11
Tall HopesErnest Harris6 episodes
1995–1997The Parent 'HoodMichael PetersonSeasons 1–3
1997Living SingleDamon Barker1 episode
1999Pepper AnnMalik, Lamar Abudabe (voices)2 episodes
2000–2006As Told by GingerDarren Patterson, additional voices (voice)32 episodes[26]
2002 Static Shock Jump, Joe (voices) 2 episodes[26]
2003 All Grown Up! J.T. (voice) Episode: "Tweenage Tycoons"
2019Cannon BustersPhilly the Kid (voice)12 episodes; English dub[26]
2023 Teen Titans Go! Dracula (voice) Episode: "Looking for Love"

Video games

YearTitleRole
2004Grand Theft Auto: San AndreasPedestrian
2006Saints RowPlaya Voice 2 / Stilwater's Resident / Radio Voice
Company of HeroesVoice
2007Company of Heroes: Opposing FrontsAldrich
Power Rangers: Super LegendsNavy Thunder Ranger[26]
2008Saints Row 2Male Voice 2
2011Saints Row: The ThirdMale Voice 2[26]
2013Saints Row IVPresident (Male)[26]
2015Saints Row: Gat out of HellPresident (Male)[26]

References

  1. 1 2 "Blank, Kenny 1977–". Encyclopedia.com. Retrieved October 24, 2022.
  2. 1 2 3 4 Regelman, Kazz (July 1998). "The Music Man". Boys' Life. Boy Scouts of America. p. 6.
  3. 1 2 3 4 "Blank Productions, Starring Kenny". Indianapolis Recorder. April 29, 1995. p. C6.
  4. 1 2 3 4 Sullivan, Meg (October 9, 1995). "Just act naturally". University of Southern California. Retrieved October 23, 2022.
  5. 1 2 3 "Superboy". Ebony. Johnson Publishing Company. April 1992. pp. 118−122.
  6. ↑ Cherry, Nanciann (October 4, 1991). "Salvation in the slum". Toledo Blade. p. 32.
  7. ↑ "Rotten Tomatoes: Kenny Blank". rottentomatoes.com. Archived from the original on February 1, 2013. Retrieved January 30, 2010.
  8. ↑ Marill, Alvin H. (2005). Movies Made for Television, 1964-2004: 1990-1999. Scarecrow Press. p. 69.
  9. ↑ Zuckerman, Faye (September 29, 1991). "Louis Gossett Jr. in movie on NBC". Lakeland Ledger. p. 4C.
  10. ↑ Willis, John (February 2000). Screen World 1993. Hal Leonard Corporation. p. 73. ISBN 9781557831750.
  11. ↑ "Alex Haley's Queen". Baltimore Afro-American. February 13, 1993. p. C3.
  12. ↑ Boedeker, Hal (August 25, 1993). "'Tall Hopes' falls short on comedy". Star-News. p. 6B. Tall Hopes does have an appealing young star, Kenny Blank, who plays Chet's 15-year-old brother Ernest in an ingratiating, low-key style.
  13. ↑ Martin, John (August 25, 1993). "CBS premiering two shows this evening". Lakeland Ledger. p. 4C. Blank ("Queen") is a sparkling young talent largely wasted here.
  14. ↑ Goodman, Walter (August 25, 1993). "Review/Television; Browsing the Newsmagazines and Happening Upon a New One". The New York Times. Retrieved October 24, 2022. Ernest has the best lines; he calls his ratty sneakers "toxic waste dumps with laces" and complains that the only way he can get Dad to notice him is by not putting a subway token into the turnstile.
  15. ↑ Fearn-Banks, Kathleen (October 3, 2014). Historical Dictionary of African American Television. Rowman & Littlefield. p. 346. ISBN 9780810879171.
  16. ↑ "Thursday Best Bets". The Free Lance-Star. November 25, 2000. p. 26.
  17. ↑ Lentz, Harris M. (2001). Science Fiction, Horror & Fantasy Film and Television Credits: Filmography. McFarland & Company. p. 894.
  18. ↑ Terrace, Vincent (January 10, 2014). Encyclopedia of Television Shows, 1925 Through 2010 (2nd ed.). McFarland & Company. p. 59. ISBN 9780786486410.
  19. ↑ "Kenn Michael (visual voices guide)". Behind the Voice Actors. Retrieved October 24, 2022.
  20. ↑ Green, Dylan (August 26, 2019). "REVIEW: 'Cannon Busters' Is An Anime For Us, By Us". Black Entertainment Television. Retrieved October 23, 2022.
  21. ↑ "Briefly". Indianapolis Recorder. July 23, 1999. p. C2.
  22. ↑ Iverem, Esther (April 13, 2007). We Gotta Have It: Twenty Years of Seeing Black at the Movies, 1986-2006. Da Capo Press. p. 168. ISBN 9781560259169.
  23. ↑ "Cool Off This Summer with TV One's Chilling Slate of Love, Lies & Murder Movies Every Sunday Night in July". The Futon Critic. June 3, 2019. Retrieved October 24, 2022.
  24. ↑ Terrace, Vincent (March 23, 2009). The Year in Television, 2008: A Catalog of New and Continuing Series, Miniseries, Specials and TV Movies. McFarland & Company. p. 229. ISBN 9780786443918.
  25. ↑ "Life & Art". Billboard. Nielsen Business Media. November 18, 1995. p. 32.
  26. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 "Kenny Blank (visual voices guide)". Behind The Voice Actors. Retrieved December 16, 2023. A green check mark indicates that a role has been confirmed using a screenshot (or collage of screenshots) of a title's list of voice actors and their respective characters found in its opening and/or closing credits and/or other reliable sources of information.
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